How the Stars Came into the Sky - A Navajo Folk Tale

The First Woman grabbed the jewels form her bag and placed them carefully into the dark sky. Her purpose was to design deliberate patterns so the People could read them and understand the Navajo laws. A Coyote watched her as she carefully placed her jewels in the black night. Coyote asked her what she was doing. She explained that she was placing the stars in a specific manner so the People would have no confusion about the laws. Coyote asked to help her. She handed coyote a star and he carefully placed it into the night. Slowly, he hung one at a time. Coyote began to complain that the job was taking too long. First Woman told him that it takes time and care in setting forth the important laws of the People. Coyote wasn’t patient. He couldn’t wait to finish the important task. So, he grabbed First Woman’s bag of stars and flung them into the night ruining the deliberate patterns carefully created by First Woman. First Woman cried because there was way to repair Coyote’s mischievous deed. That is how the stars came into the sky.